Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
To whom it May concern, these rubber brake lines almost killed me barreling thru a downhill red light. Fixed bad part,then hit guard rail,damaged front grille,bumper and fender when the other line popped while driving. I was told this is a notorious problem with Dodge trucks. I'm not as angry about the filler neck which rotted and filed tank w rust chunks,replaced fuel pump. But I think more ppl need to b aware of this brake problem with these trucks, as far as I'm concerned, this is incredibly dangerous, and I might scrap it because it's problems 120K mile truck I can't even get 700$ for after the $ I've invested to keep it safe. I think the brakes need to be recalled with these trucks. Owners like me just let them sit because they rosy so easy their not worth fixing anymore, I regularly maintenence my vehicles,these are expensive to keep safe, thank you. Scott kimball.120K 98 Ram
I was driving on a busy downtown street when I turned a corner at approximately 10 MPH. As I turned I felt an awful jar. I was pulling a 12' empty trailer. I looked in my rear view mirror to see my trailer lift up about 3-4 ft. It stayed on the ball hitch but bounced terribly. I also saw a tire rolling across the road fortunately not hitting any other car. I pulled over and checked around my truck. I accounted for all 4 tires on my truck and the two on my trailer. I thought I must had run over one laying in the street. Then I noticed my spare was missing and saw the metal piece where cable goes through laying in the road. The cable broke off which dropped the spare into the road which my trailer ran over. Had I been going faster or on a busier highway there probably would had been more damage. Only damage I incurred was my trailer mesh floor broke weld and now it is bent frame. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated the entire dashboard was cracked. The contact stated an occupant sustained an injury due to the sharp dashboard pieces. The contact called piedmont Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram aev (4015 clemson blvd, anderson, sc 29621, [phone]) and was informed that the dashboard could be replaced or a cap cover installed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 200,000.
I purchased a truck about 6 months ago and I had nothing but problems with it. I had to replaced so many things on it. I was told that the truck only had 72,000 miles on it when I bought it, after driving it for a few months. I encountered problems with it. I ended up running carfax on it and found out the odometer was rolled back two weeks before I purchased it. It had originally 167,000 miles
He dash started cracking not that long after we got the truck. It was not even paid off when it started coming apart was used. We eventually put a mat dash cover on it to keep the parts from flying around. It has virtually dissolved since then. Very poor material was used on these.
My 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab is located in new england where road salt is used in the winter. The undercarriage is rusting because of this, the most dangerous aspect, however is the coil spring front mounts, or buckets that hold the bottom springs to the front axel assembly. Dodge hasn't offered to recall Dodge trucks to repair this dangerous design flaw, whereby the coil mounts were insufficiently coated, and improperly designed to trap salty water in them to accelerate the oxidation process. This is not unlike the safety issue Ford windstar minivans had with their axles that trapped salty water during winter and caused them to rot out and snap causing injury and death. My close friend who owns a mid 1990's Dodge Ram truck, who had his coil spring bucket actually fail causing his front end to lunge forward, he was driving slowly when it happened so he wasn't injured. …
My son and I purchased a1998 Dodge Ram 1500 club cab pick up truck and the dash started coming apart (cracking/collapsing in chunks) and in one instance after driving down the bumpy dirt roads here in sc (which is like driving down a set of railroad tracks at times even at low speeds). Part of the dash flew up a caught me in the eye and face. I wear glass', so I didn't suffer serious injury, but could have easy enough. I have since used a cover, but so much of the dash has now fallen apart that's not a solution anymore. I'm not sure who designed this dash, but I also drive a 05 Dodge durango and a 06 Dodge police charger and this has not yet happened in them. The dash seems to have gotten worse and worse to the point I'm not sure what's holding it to the rest of the truck. This is dangerous and we need a new dash or to have some type of hard cover. …
The dash board began to crack, now it is virtually non existent. I cannot place anything on the dash because it has huge chunks missing. If I roll down my windows on the interstate, some more pieces of the dash fall off . It is unusable. It May be a hazard because small sharp plastic parts should not be in front of the driver. I have cut my hand on the edges when I was picking up all the broken shards of plastic. I am appalled that Dodge is not accountable for shortcomings in nearly every single Dodge pickup truck. I have had mechanics that have told me to go elsewhere, because they did not want to be responsible for the inevitable breaking of the dash that occurs when you have to work on the interior.
I had my Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 for only 2 years before the paint started fading on the hood, top of cab & top of bed. Now it is 2004 and the trucks looks terriable . Embarrassing to drive. Dealership said there is nothing they can do, no recalls on paint for 1998 truck and no warranty. After you pay all that money for a truck and expected the best quality due to the price. I have spoke with several dealerships and this seems to be a common problem. I cannot afford to have it painted, considering how much it costs to replace the emblems and purchase the paint. Is there any thing that can be done about this? Please help!
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH in reverse, he noticed that the steering wheel had become abnormally loose. The contact attempted to drive forward but he turned the wheel right and the vehicle went left. The contact then exited the vehicle and noticed that the sub frame was rusted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 130,000. Updated 11-04-13 updated 11/8/2013
Body complaints in other Ram 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1998 Dodge Ram 1500?
NHTSA has 102 complaints about the body & structure of the 1998 Dodge Ram 1500, 20% of the model year's 520 complaints. The component named most often is body (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1998 Dodge Ram 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.